Dr. Lory Morrow is new Davidson County superintendent

Monday

Dec 2, 2013 at 11:07 PM

The Davidson County Board of Education named Dr. Lory D. Morrow as the new superintendent of schools during its regular meeting on Monday night.

BY SHARON MYERSThe Dispatch

The Davidson County Board of Education named Dr. Lory D. Morrow as the new superintendent of schools during its regular meeting on Monday night.“I am very excited to be named the superintendent of Davidson County Schools,” Morrow said. “This county is committed to education. They have given students multiple opportunities to become career and college ready. I am looking forward to working with the board, staff, administration and parents.”Morrow is a 24-year veteran educator who most recently was the deputy superintendent of instruction for Gaston County Schools. She began her career in 1989 as an elementary school teacher in Charlotte. She was named principal of Northview Elementary School in 2003 and later principal of Third Creek Elementary School at Iredell-Statesville Schools. In 2006, she returned to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as principal of Long Creek Elementary School to direct major instructional change. The school system promoted her to director of school leadership in 2009 to guide the district's “New Leaders for New Schools” program to recruit, train and assist with the growth and development of principals with an emphasis on instructional and organizational skills. She has also worked as an adjunct professor at Gardner Webb University training principals.Under her leadership, the Gaston County school system embraced the Common Core standards and implemented more rigorous instructional programs and expectations. As a results, graduation rates increased, scholarships earned went up, student attendance increased and the dropout rate decreased. Morrow says that her initial task as superintendent is to gather feedback from all sources, prioritize needs and promote successes.“My first goal is to listen, learn and understand,” Morrow said. “I want to build a good relationship with the staff, board and community.”Morrow is replacing longtime Davidson County Schools superintendent Dr. Fred Mock who will retire on Jan. 1. Mock, who has been the leader of the system for the past 16 years, says that he is pleased with the selection of the new superintendent, although leaving is a touch bittersweet.“I will miss sitting at that table, but I am very comfortable with the decision the board has made,” Mock said. “It was common sense to select Dr. Morrow because she has the accreditation and the resume to lead this system. I believe she understands the role public schools have as a formidable force in education.”During its search for a new superintendent, the Davidson County Board of Education created a survey and posted it on the district's website to gather input from the stakeholders of the school system. The survey asked those who took the survey to rate the importance of personal qualities such as academics, internal/external relationships, integrity, facilitator, good communication, approachability, leadership and the ability to think outside the box. It also asked the order of importance of professional knowledge base characteristics such as supervision, financial/budget, instructional strategies and curriculum design. According to reports from the school board, they had 1,543 individuals fill out the survey.Davidson County Board of Education chairwoman Carol Crouse said that Morrow was extremely qualified for the superintendent position and met the criteria gathered from the survey.“Her experience in Common Core curriculum is a perfect fit for our needs.” Crouse said. “She is so knowledgeable of all the challenges we are facing, plus she is very outgoing and energetic.”Crouse added that although the board is excited about starting a new chapter, it is not without thanks for the hard work of outgoing superintendent Mock.“I can't say enough about Fred (Mock),” Crouse said. “He has worked tirelessly for the system for many years. It was his decision to step down and I think he has deserved his retirement.”Crouse said they had approximately 15 candidates who applied for the superintendent's position and two finalists. Morrow will be paid a yearly salary of $165,000. She is the first female to serve as the superintendent of the Davidson County school system. Morrow is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's and doctorate degree in school administration and educational leadership from Gardner Webb University. Morrow is also a graduate of the SUPES Academy Leadership Institute for Superintendents and the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Leadership Institute for Superintendents. She attended UNC-Chapel Hill Future Superintendent Leadership Program and the North Carolina Virtual High School Programs in 2008.Morrow grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa., and has been married to her husband, Jerry, for 20 years. They have two dogs, Layla and Stella. She is a member of the Bethel Presbyterian Church in Cornelius where she has taught Sunday School and coordinated Vacation Bible School.

Sharon Myers can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 228 or at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com.

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